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Free State RET Forces pledge continous support for Magashule ahead of court appearance

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Supporters of the Free State Radical Economic Transformation (RET) Forces have questioned the independence of the country’s judiciary. The group has pledged support for African National Congress (ANC) Secretary-General, Ace Magashule, ahead of his court appearance in Bloemfontein on Friday.

RET Forces claim that charges against Magashule are politically-motivated. Civil movements, the South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco), and the Congress of South African Students (Cosas) have also come out in support of Magashule.

The RET Forces’ Malefu Mofokeng has accused judges of having underhand tactics.

“Comrade Ace’s charges have nothing to do with law per se but are politically motivated charges. The independence of the judiciary is compromised. Some legal practitioners are no longer committed to the rule of law but use the rule of law to advance narrow political interest for those who are anti-economic transformation.”

 RET Forces vow to defend Ace Magashule:

Free State Sanco Chairperson, Gift Poli, says they believe in Magashule’s innocence.

“As Sanco we strongly believe this is a political case and it’s concocted and if you can check the charges. That is why we are saying he is innocent until proven guilty.  SG is one of our own, as Sanco  in the Free State we are going to continue supporting him.”

ANC member, Thabo Baleni, claims Magashule is being targeted for his stance on radical economic transformation.

“We have learned with time that all those who had before him been advocates of change that is supposed to bring about the development of African people had forever been challenged. In this regard, it is done in terms of actually getting concocted lies, goes through media and also channeling the apparatus of the state, the judiciary, which comes and tries to purge comrade Ace Magashule.”

COSAS national convenor, Katleho Mangoejane, agrees. “When comrade Ace Magashule was still the Premier of the Free State, he did a lot of development at schools. He prioritised education amongst other things, that is why we feel the need to defend him because an attack on Ace Magashule is an attack on education.”

Magashule, together with seven others and five companies are facing corruption charges relating to the alleged irregular awarding of a tender for more than R250 million to remove asbestos from low-cost houses in the Free State.

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